The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-06-01

so, above this, where small craft can 60,
and q few of the gentlemen who OWL
these houses keep little pleasure boats.
But above that the channel is toe
shallow, and below it is dangerous"
1T don't seem very good place fol
the kids unused Jim.
For the children, James,"
"For the children. If YOU had EN-
out on the prairie, they'd be safer"
"Why," exclaimed Miss Allen, 81
wouldn't trust myself on the prairie, tc
say nothing of the children! They say
there arc rattlesnakes there"
"Yes," admitted Jim, "thcre is some
rattlcsmakcs. But it's safer than this,
think"
While these two had been working
and talking, something had happened
that, beyoud all question, never should
have happened ut all. The children
knew better than to get into any boat
without permission, and in this case they
knew, too, that they were meddling with
private property.
Nevertheless, when party Of little boy:
and girls, wandering up the bank, came
upon beautiful grcen-and-white boat
snugly hidden in tiny cove where nc
boat had ever been before, then all the
trouble began.
First they stopped to examine and
admire; and then two little boy;
jumped in, and began to rock from side
, to side, and to tell how they dared ride
away down to the mill-dam in her; and
next two little girls thought they would
get in, too, if the boys wouldn't rock
and the boys promised, with sarcastic
sidc-speech about girls and fraid-cats
and soon all four were seated on the
pretty greenland white benches.
Then, in some way, the boat got adrift.
Perhaps the boat was only drawn upon
the sand, and the rocking pushed it off.
Perhaps some mischievous boy united the
rope. At all events, it was caught by
, the current, and began to glide down the
treacherous stream.
When Miss Allen heard the screams,
and looked from the frantic group on the
shore to the tiny boat out on the river,
her very heart seemed to stand still. To
stay so near, and safe and well, yet utter
ly powerless, while those children in her
care sped on to death! Her senses
swan.
The sunny sparkles on the river shone
in her eyes like electric flashes. She
seemed to see, already, the little faces,
cold and dead, and the limbs all crushed
and mangled, and she heard the reproach-
ful cries Of their narcnts
And Jim-who might, at least, have
run swiftly and given the alarm--what
was Jim doing2
Nothing.
Or next to nothing; so it seemed.
He did not even rise at first. One
glance up the river with his keen blue
eyes, and he went on working at his rope.
He was making loop of on end. He
did not seem to hurry, but he wasted no
motion.
Holding the loop in his right hand,
while the coils still hung upon his left
arm, he waded through the shallow shore
water to the edge of the deeper channel.
His quick glance seemed to take In every
thing, the current, the river-bottom, and
the banks. Even the light wind from
the west was tested an instant with his
upheld hand. There was no hurry, no
flutter, but every nerve was awake, and
every muscle true to call.
The boat was moving faster now. She
quivered and thrilled with the strong
and dangerous current. She has foated
past.
No! Look! With one supple motion,
Jim has thrown his loop. 1t speeds
through the air like a live thing, and
falls, true to aim, just where the
frightened children can grasp it best.
Quick as thought, Jim moves with the
boat, managing the rope so that it shall
not tighten to soon. Above the medley
of sounds rises his clear, ringing voice,
and they hear and obey his rapid direc-
tions.
"Pass the rope the long way of the
boat. Every one take hold! Now
hold fast"
They do hold fast. Eight little hands,
with the strength of desperation, clutch
the rope. With a long, steady, even
pull, Jim heads the boat for the shore,
and grounds it on the shadows.
Here my story might end, if jim had
known how to wade in pebbly-bottom
river. But as he laid hold of the prov,
and pulled with all his strength to. draw
it further up, his foot slipped among the
smooth, water-worn stones, and ne fell
heavily, and struck his head upon a
sharp rock. And when. at last, some
men came running to help, they found
the children safe on shore, but Jim lay
scnselcss in the shallow, while Miss
Allen, with her pretty dress all soaked
and clinging, held his head out of the
water.
Of course, Jim was the hero of the day.
He professed great chagrin because he
was ''fool enough to hurt himself" but
he was no less hero because he spent q
few days in a sick-room.
Then the fathers of the rescued children
met in solemn conclave to decide what
they should do for Jim. There was
talk of subscription and presentation,
but good sense and good taste prevailed,
and they decided to offer him nothing ex-
cept their heartfelt thanks; but to keep
the boy in sight, and when the time came,
to do him substantial service.
think that when Jim gets ready to
settle on his claim, he will have as liberal
personal outfit as any young "sod-
peltcr" need desire,
But the mothers could not wait so long
before they testified their gratitude, and
Jim declares that before he left his room
he had dressing-gowns and slippers